Means for discharging fluid pressure containers



July 7, 1936. s. E. ALLEN 2,047,049

MEANS FOR DiSCHARGING FLUID PRESSURE CONTAINERS Original Filed Jan. 10, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFiCE MEANS FOR nrscmiaome From rnassunn commas Scott E. Allen, Glen Ridge, N. .11., assignor to C-O-Two Fire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J a corporations! Delaware Continuation oi application Serial No. 729,037,

June 4, 1934, which in turn is a division of application Serial No. 650,957, January 10, 1933. This applicationOctober 30, 1935, derial No.

11 Claims. (cries-11) The present application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 729,037, filed June 4, 1934, which was a division of my copending application Serial No. 650,957, filed January10,1933.

The present invention relates to means for discharging fluid from containers and more par-- ticularly to the discharge of cylinders or the like containing fluid under high pressure,wsuch, for instance, as liquefied carbon dioxide.

Such cylinders are usually closed by sealing disks which must be punctured or ruptured to release the fluid, and an object of my invention is to provide improved means for cutting the 115 sealing disk, wherein the pressure of the fluid in the'cylinder will assist in shearing the disk, thereby reducing the effort required to cut the disk.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of cutting a flap out of the sealing to disk which will remain attached to the dish so that there will be no loose. piece to jam in the discharge line or be blown out at the discharge point.-

A more specific object or the invention is to- 2p provide means for scoring the dish and thereby weakening the same to such an extent that the pressure oi the fluid will cause the disk to shear along the scoring.

Other objects and advantages of my invention to will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and a modification thereof and thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing! as v Figure 1 is a iragmentalview partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of a cylinder and discharge device therefor embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmental view in perspective of a 40 cutter used in said discharge device;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5, are plan views showing successive steps in the cutting of, a sealing disk by the cutter shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a sealing disk after a 45 flap has been cut out of the disk showing the flap partly bent upward by fluid pressure.

The cylinder l0 fragmentally shown in Fig. 1 is of the usual form adapted for storage oi highly compressed fire extinguishing fluid such,

5 for instance, as liquefied carbon dioxide. Them 55 I5 in thebore andisheldtoits seat by a tubular plug it threaded into the upper end of the neck stem. The stem it carries the usual valved fitting ii for filling the cylinder. Threaded into the lower end of the stem i2 is the usual siphon tube it which extends to the lower end of the cylinder so as to discharge the liquefied gas under pressure of the gas in the upper portion of the cylinder. A

Mounted on the cylinder is a discharge head comprising a main body 3|] which is attached to It) the .upper end of the stem i2 by'a coupling nut 3i. The body 30 is formed with a lower chamber 32 into which the fluid discharges when Gil . the sealing disk it 'is ruptured and connectedtc this discharge chamber is a discharge pipe M.

In the upper part of the body 3 is formed a cylinder chamber 341 in which fits a piston 35.

The latter is journaled on a stem it, being held between a shoulder 31 on the stem at one side and a nut dd on the other side. This nut, however, is threaded on the stem against a shoulder 39 so that it may be tightened without gripping the piston sufflciently to prevent turning of the latter freely on thestem. A plug it closes the upper end of the cylinder. The stem it is journaled in the plug and is provided at its outerend with a handle or operating arm ii.

The stem 36 has a threaded portion M which passes through and has threaded engagement with the wall as separating chamber at from chamber 32. Fixed to a reduced lower end portion 36a of the stem is a hollow tubular cutter s. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the cutter is formed with an arcuate cutting edge 9i embracing a large part of the circumference of the cutter but of considerably less than 360 degrees in extent, which cutting edge lies in a plane normal to the axis of the tubular cutter. This cuttin edge 9! is interrupted on one side by a recess forming a blunt shoulder 92 which is stepped 40 out of the plane of the cutting .edge St. The cutter is also provided with an annular shoulder 93 which is adapted to engage the tubular plug or sleeve nut l6 to limit downward movement of the cutter and prevent the shoulder 92 from being forced through the disk. There is an axial bore 49 in the stem which communicates at its upper end with a transverse bore50 opening into the cylinder'chamber above the piston while another transverse bore 52' opens through the 50 threadedportion 42 and is closed when the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the axial bore 49 is. closed by the bottom wall SI of the socket into which the stem is threaded. It will be understood, or course, 55

that the cutter is provided with openings $95 through which gas liberated from the container may escape into the chamber 32 and thence pass out through the tube 33 to the delivery line.

The operation of this cutter is as follows: The piston stem 33 carries the operating arm ti to which may be attached a pull rod or cable (not shown) and the parts are so arranged that this arm turns through an angle of approximately degrees in moving the cutter from-the norme] position illustrated to complete cutting po sition.- In the latter position the shoulders ilil engage the sleeve nut it and prevent further longitudinal movement of the cutter. Fig. 3 illustrstes the initial position of the cutter in broken lines on the sealing dish it. The recessed shoulder portion 92 is here shown as extendinu through an angle or degrees, while the sharpened edge 9i embraces an arc of 225 degrees. While the arm M is moving initially through on angle of about 45 degrees the cutter is being advanced toward the disk l4 until it comes into engagement therewith. During this interval no cutting takes place but the piston stem is moved in axial direction sufficiently for the bore 52 to be uncovered, so that ii any pressure fluid has been admitted into the chamber 32 through the pipe 33, as described in said copending appliestion, it will find its way through the stem to the top of the piston chamber 34 and will then not upon the piston either to assist in further movement of the arm ll or else to assume the entire task of forcing the piston the rest of the wsy down to complete cutting of the disk. It "will be understood that the angle of the threads in the well it end portion 42 of the stem is such that pressure in axial direction on the piston may force the latter downward without assistance of power applied to the arm M. Fig. 4 illustrates the position of the cutter after the arm 4!! has moved through the initial 45 degrees and'the cutter is just beginning to score the disk. As the arm is moved through the second 45, degrees the cutter begins to bite into the disk, and eventually shears through the disk until it finally reaches the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 5. When the letter position is reached, the disk will have been cut and scored through an angle of 270 degrees and the pressure oi the fluid in the cylinder I 0 will force out the cut portion of the disk #36. Fig. Bshows the flap thus cut in an instantaneous position as it is being forced upward into the tubular cutter. The force of the compressed gas in the cylinder is sufficient to tear the hop along the scored parts and to bend it up about the shoulder 92 as an anvil, flattening the flap against the inner cylindrical wall of the cutter.

As described in application Serial No. 349,150, filed March 22, 1929, and continuation or said application, Serial No. 9,346, flied March 4, 1935, it is desirable to provide a shoulder about which the flap may be bent, as otherwise the sudden bursting out of the flap under pressure of the gas is likely to tear the flap free of the disk and carry it into the discharge head, unless the hinged portion of the flap is of considerable width. Such a loose piece of metal might jam and obstruct the ports 95, or it might actually be blown out to the discharge point and in case of s. fire in electrical machinery it might do considerable damage by providing a short circuit. As described in said application, Serial No. 9,346, the danger of touring the flap loose is obviated by providing the shoulder 92 which comes substantially into en- EBJMLOMD gsgement with the disk at the time when the ilep is burst out of the disk.

An advantage of using a cutter or this type over cutters heretofore employed is that less etiort is required to score and shear the flop out oi the disk because a. large part or the work is done by the pressure of the fluid in the cylinder.

In the particular design of cutter illustrated, the combined shearing and scoring takes place from the point A to the point B, Fig. 5, leaving on uncut and unscored hinge portion of about 90 degrees in extent. Actually in practice the tearing action may extend a. little beyond the points A and B but a substantial portion of unscored end uncut metal will be left to form the hinge for the flop M.

In the particular cutter illustrated the cutting edge has an angular extent of i5 degrees more and the recess 45 degrees less than me degrees and the cutter has a. rotary movement while in contact with the disk of 45 degrees. This represents sbout the maximum extent oi cutting edge which would be used in practice, but obviously the cutting edge may be reduced, in which case the rotary movement of the cutter must be increased so that the flap forced out by the gas will hinge properly within the angle embraced by the recessed pert of the cutter. The sheet metal of which sealing disks are usually formed, has a decided grain in the direction in which the metal is rolled in manufacture and there is a tendency for the metal to split or tear along this grain. If a, cutting point were used instead of an erzmnded cutting edge embracing u large part of the circumference of the cutter, there would. be the danger that before an arcuate scoring sud cutting of any great extent had been made a sliver of the disk would be burst out and split off by the pressure or the gas. .Ihus, a loose piece would be projected into the discharge head, with the sttendant dangers pointed out above, and the opening in the disk would be incomplete, thereby partly throttling the discharge. By having a cutter of large angular extent, such that considerably more than degrees of the disk will be scored and out before the flap is burst outwardly by the gas pressure this danger is overcome. However, the unscored and uncut portion should preferably not be less than 90'degrces in extent because the tearing action, when the flap is burst open, will further reduce the extent of the hinge. and there must always be suihcient metal in the hinge to prevent it from completely tearing oil.

It is not essential that the cutting edge of the tubular cutter should lie in a plane that is exactly perpendicular to the axis of the cutter. A fairly wide tolerance is allowable so long as the cutting edge operates to score and penetrate the sealing disk with a shearing action. It will be obvious that this result may be obtained with a cutting edge tlmt departs somewhat from the normal plane and hence my invention is not to be construed as limiting theplone oi the cutting edge to absolute nonnalcy. In fact, the cutting edge need not lie in a true plane but it should be substantially coincident with or parallel to a. normal plane.

While I have described a, preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that this is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative and that I reserve the right to make such changes in form, construction and arrangement or parts as fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure. said cutter consisting of a tubular member sharpened at one end to form an extending cutting edge lying in a plane substantially normal to i the longitudinal axis'of the tubular member and comprising a large part of the circumference of said member, said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to not more than the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but sumciently less than 360 degrees so that the resulting'flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and unscored portion without tearing oil.

2. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure, said cutter consising of a tubular member sharpened at one end to form an extended cutting edge lying in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and comprising a large part of the circumference of said member, said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to within approximately 45 degrees of half the circumference of said member, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but not more than about 270 degrees.

3. A discharge device for a container, holding fluid under pressure and having a. penetrable closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure, said cutter consisting of a tubular member sharpened at one end to form an extended cutting edge lying in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and comprising a large part of the circumference of said member, said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to not more than about 225 degrees, said cutting edge being nor mally out of engagement with said closure, means for advancing the cutter into engagement with the closure and for continuing such advance and simultaneously turning the cutter to score and cut the closure,'and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but sumciently less than 360 degrees so that the resulting flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and'unscored portion without tearing off.

4. A discharge device for a containerholding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a rotary cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said member, said cutter being formed with an arcuate cutting edge of an extent within approximately 45 degrees of degrees concentric with the axis of rotation of the cutter and disposed in a plane substantially normal to said axis, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but sufiicie'ntly less than 360 degrees so that the resulting flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and unscored portion without tearing oil.

5. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a rotary cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said member, said cutter being formed with an arcuate cutting edge of an extent within approximately 45 degrees of 180 degrees concentric with the axis of rotation of the cutter and disposed in a plane substantially normal to said axis, the cutter also having a recessed shoulder connecting the ends of the cutting edge and providing an anvil about which the flap may be bent, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees and suificiently less than 360 degrees so that the resulting flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge about the anvil without tearing off.

6. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a fiap out of said closure, saidcutter consisting of a tubular member sharpened at one end to form an extended cutting edge lying in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and comprising a large part of the circumference of said member, Said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to not more than about 225 degrees and forming an anvil about which the flap may be bent, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but not more than about 2'70 degrees.

7. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and havinga penetrable closure, said device comprising a rotary cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said member, said cutter being formed with an arcuate cutting edge of about 225 degrees in extent concentric with the axis of the cutter and disposed in a plane 50 substantially normal to said axis, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance andturning of the cutter after it has turned whilefin engagement with the closure 55 through an angle of about 45 degrees.

8. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a tubular cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said member, said 60 cutter being formed with an arcuate cutting edge of about 225 degrees in extent disposed in a plane substantially normal to said axis, the cutter also having a recessed shoulder connecting the ends of the cutting edge and providing an anvil about 65 which the flap may be bent, the cutting edge be-. ing normally out of engagement with the cutter, means for advancing the cutter helically to engage and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has? holding 75 fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure, said cutter consisting of a tubular member sharpened at one end toward the inner periphery of said member to form an extended cutting edge lying in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member and comprising a large part of the circumference of said'member, said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent 01' the cutting edge to not more than about 225 degrees, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than degrees but sufiiciently less than 360 degrees so that the resulting fiap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and unscored portion without tearing on.

10. A. discharge device for a container holding fiuid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure, said cutter consisting of a tubular member sharpened at one end to form an arcuate cutting edge comprising a substantial part of the circumference of said member, said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to not more than about 225 degrees, the cutting edge extending substantially parallel to a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the cutter, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut'the closure, and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an arc of more than 180 degrees but sufficiently less than 366 degrees so that the resulting flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and unscored portion without tearing off.

11. A discharge device for a container holding fluid under pressure and having a penetrable closure, said device comprising a. cutter adapted to cut a flap out of said closure, said cutter consisting of a tubular membersharpened at one end to form an arcuate cutting edge said end being also formed with a recess limiting the extent of the cutting edge to within t5 degrees of .180 degrees, the cutting'edge extending substan tially parallel to a plane normal to the longitudinal axs of the cutter, means for simultaneously advancing and turning the cutter to score and cut the closure. and a stop limiting advance and turning of the cutter after it has scored and cut the closure along an are 01 more than 180 degrees but sufllciently less than 360 degrees so that the resulting flap forced out by the pressure of said fluid will hinge on the uncut and unscored portion without tearing ofl.

SCOTT E. ALLEN. 

